


Whosoever Holds this Hammer, if He (or She!) be Worthy...

by Sabriel (the_one_a_m_writer)



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: (Spoilers!), (That tag is a misnomer because Steve's not even in here), Asgardian politics, I resisted putting any curse words in this one! go me, I was very handwavey about that whole business, New Asgard, Not worthy, Professor Hulk - Freeform, Somehow Mjolnir exists after Endgame, Steve Rogers Can Wield Mjolnir, discussions of New Asgard's political standing, in that i did not address it at all, no ships here, post Endgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 10:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19375321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_one_a_m_writer/pseuds/Sabriel
Summary: Thor is no longer ruling Asgard, and it would be a pity if whoever was wasn't worthy. Luckily, she's worthy.Loki's found alive, drifting through space.Mjolnir, though no one knows it, follows its own rules.God I promise this is a cohesive story even if I can't write a summary





	Whosoever Holds this Hammer, if He (or She!) be Worthy...

**Author's Note:**

> It's based on a Tumblr post; I'll put the post in the end because uh spoi-lers  
> Post-Endgame, though for some reason Thor kept Mjolnir.

_ The spell didn’t die with Odin. It passed onto Mjolnir’s current owner, Thor.  _

“Brunnhilde!”

The Valkyrie looks up and sees Thor and Banner running up the hill to her modest, three-room, straw-roofed castle. 

“Thor! Professor!”

“Call me Bruce,” the Professor says for the millionth time. “How’s ruling Asgard going?” 

“It’s going well,” she says. “They keep me on track.” 

“Aye,” Thor agrees. “I see the village has expanded!”

“Technically, it’s a country. I talked to your United Nations council. We have a delegate now-- Erika--” she waves at Erika and Erika waves back. Thor is hanging on to every word with stars in his eyes. 

“We take in immigrants,” Brunnhilde added. “Refugees. It’s much easier to apply for citizenship in New Asgard than it is to apply in other nations.” 

“So that’s what all the expansion is about, huh?” Bruce asks. 

“Yes! I just make sure everyone understands that they have to work hard, and...” 

She stops, surveying her little country. “The more stable we are, the more refugees I will be able to take. I also started holding council. If problems can’t be resolved, they come to me.” 

“Like Odin used to?” 

“Like Odin used to. But for serious offenses, I have a court system.” 

“Wise of you.” 

“Thanks. I’m working on it. Infrastructure is still so-so. We need to work on getting the houses insulated, and getting heating working. The Asgardians are not so affected by the heat as the humans are.” 

“I could help,” Bruce offers, “or I could recommend people who can actually help.”

“That would be wonderful.” 

“Brunnhilde, I want to give you Mjolnir.” 

She laughs. “It’s yours. You can’t give it up. I won’t be able to lift it.” 

“It determines who is worthy to rule Asgard. If you can’t lift it, than I should not have made you Queen.” 

“I’m King, actually.”

“Oh?” Thor says, looking more intrigued than surprised. 

“Yeah, apparently Queen and King actually have different functions. It would be nice to have a Queen to split the duties with, but in order to rule Asgard, you have to be a King.” 

“Well, then, King Brunnhilde, I offer Mjolnir to you.” 

He hands it out to her ceremonially. She closes one hand around the handle, but doesn’t take it yet. 

“Are you sure?” 

“Aye, I’m sure.” 

She takes it. 

It doesn’t fall. 

Thor smiles and pats her on the back. “Good luck. We are leaving, but I will come back soon. And don’t worry about me-- I have Stormbreaker!” 

“Bye, Thor,” she says, and watches him and Bruce leave. 

 

_ But Thor keeps ownership of the spell-- it’ll pass onto Mjolnir’s owner at his demise.  _

 

Out of spells, out of tricks, he tumbled in deep space for what felt like an eternity. 

He-- well, is he a he anymore? Is he anything anymore? Barely an entity, they aim in the direction of a star and use a little bit of their limited power to move towards it. 

If they are right, there is a planet with life going ‘round that one. 

They move fast, very fast, but it’ll take a year to hit that planet. Unless...

Unless a nova shaped like a woman approaches them and takes interest. 

“What are you?” she asks. 

“I don’t know,” they say. “I need food. Water. Rest.” 

“I’m Carol,” she says, and takes them back to her ship. 

Given food and water, they stabilize. Given rest, they reform. 

“Loki?!” Carol asks in surprise. “I heard of you!” 

“I am Loki,” they agree. Oh, they’ve got a form now. They can be  _ he _ again. 

“I thought you were dead.” 

“I was all but.” 

“Do you want to go to New Asgard, or do you want to go to Thor? Or somewhere else.” 

“Thor isn’t in New Asgard?” 

“No, he and Professor Hulk travel with the Guardians of the Galaxy sometimes.”

“Professor Hulk,” Loki says quietly. “What?” 

“Bruce Banner and the Hulk came to terms with each other, and now they’re united. Professor Hulk.”

“Oh, wonderful-- so they hate me and they can crush me  _ and _ out-wile me.” 

“He goes by  _ he _ , actually, but no, he doesn’t hate you. He would welcome you back because Thor would welcome you back.” 

“If you’re sure,” Loki says, because he really does want to see Thor.

“I am.” 

“Then yes. I want to go see Thor.” 

 

Loki steps out of the plane, and gasps in tandem with Thor. 

“LOKI!”

Thor crushes him in a hug. His body is much bigger now, like a king. Loki feels, quite frankly, dwarfed.

“Brother,” he ekes out.

“Loki, you’re alive!” 

“I am. Your friend Carol helped me.” 

“Oh, many thanks!” Thor says, and grasps Carol’s hand in both of his own. “Please, if there’s any way I can repay you--” 

“Can I borrow Stormbreaker for a mission? Just one, I promise,” she says in a rush. 

Thor laughs. “Of course! Take her now. I am going back to New Asgard with Loki.” 

“You are, are you?” Loki says, clinging to Thor nonetheless. “Is the Professor going with us?”

“Yes.” 

Loki frowns, but follows Thor. 

“Loki!” the Professor shouts, lumbering forth. “Nice to see you alive.” 

“You tried to smash me into the ground once,” Loki says, unimpressed. 

“No, that was back before this whole thing happened.” The Professor waves towards his body. “I really am glad to see you alive. Shall we?” 

He turns back toward the ship, and Thor follows, dragging Loki by the hand. 

 

“Why aren’t you ruling Asgard?” Loki asks. 

“I don’t think it’s right,” Thor says musingly. “I’m a warrior, not a King.” 

“Odin was a warrior and a King.”

“Yes, but I’m not a King,” Thor says, grinning at Loki. “So now I guard the galaxy!” 

“Oh, yes, the guardians of the galaxy. I heard.” 

“Did you know they have a Groot with them?” 

“They do?” 

“Yes! He’s a wonderful boy. Excellent fighter. Little foulmouthed.” Thor chuckles, a full, hearty sound. Loki finds himself grinning against his will. 

“I thought Flora Colossus never associated outside of their species.” 

“This one does.” 

Loki meets Groot later, and finds out his brother speaks Groot, which is... on-brand for Thor, honestly, he thinks, shaking his head. No wonder his brother seemed to be lacking in certain skills, if he was taking Flora Colossus language electives instead of valuable classes. 

“I’m Loki,” Loki tells the rest of the guardians apologetically. If they’re guarding the galaxy, they must have at least heard rumors of his exploits. To his surprise, they welcome him warmly. 

“Can’t judge anyone by their past or their parentage,” Peter Quill explains. “Else we’d be out of a team.” He gives Loki a brief overview: Ego’s son, Thanos’ daughter, Thanos’  _ other _ daughter, Flora Colossus, and, uh... Drax. And Rocket. 

They explain that Drax takes everything literally, and Loki decides then and there that he and Drax will have an animosity.

 

They make it to Earth with very little incident, though Thor smothers Loki and Loki magics Thor and Peter insults Thor and Gamora insults Peter and smothers Nebula and Nebula starts scuffles with Gamora and Rocket starts scuffles with Nebula and Groot insults everyone and starts scuffles between Drax and whoever is Groot’s unwitting target for the evening and Banner tries desperately to mitigate but also teases Peter, Thor, and Groot. It’s more like being home than Asgard ever was. 

They touch down. 

“The Valkyrie!” Loki exclaims before he can stop himself. 

“Brunnhilde!” Thor exclaims, running to meet her. “My King!” 

Oh? She’s King? Loki bows. It’s a strange thing, because he’s only ever bowed sarcastically before. Now, he’s actually... he’s actually offering his King respect. 

Thor hauls him upright. “Loki is alive!”

Brunnhilde looks him up and down. “Little troublemaker,” she says, and grabs him up in a hug before he can react. “It’s good to see you.”

“Is it?” 

“It gets dull here,” Brunnhilde explains. 

“Of course.” Loki grins. He’s happy to provide entertainment. 

And then he notices what Brunnhilde’s holding. 

“That’s Mjolnir!”

“Yes!” Thor is practically hopping with excitement. “She’s worthy! So is my good friend, the Captain Steve Rogers.” 

“Captain America’s worthy?”

“Certainly!” 

So much has happened. 

They told him some of it. The fight. The snap. The adventure. The un-snap. The second fight.

“More than one person can be  _ worthy,” _ Thor explains. “But only one need hold the throne.” 

“Oh, of course.” 

“Why don’t you try?” Thor asks. 

Loki grins. 

Then he realizes Thor is serious. “Oh, come on, brother. I’m a... I’m a frost giant.” 

“Did we not just have this conversation?” Thor asks. “Besides. Steve is a human. He’s worthy.” 

“Steve also stood up to Thanos.” 

“So did you.” 

“Steve stood up to Thanos effectively.”

“Hold the hammer, Loki,” Thor says, some of the old kingly steel back in his voice, and gestures for Brunnhilde to hand Mjolnir to Loki. Loki takes it, expecting it to drop on his foot. 

He holds it easily. 

“Okay,” he says. “Where’s the real Mjolnir?” 

“In your hand,” Thor says. 

Brunnhilde touches it, and lightning strikes the head without warning, making Loki jump in surprise. He tightens his grip on the hilt as a reaction, and the electricity flows through him, setting his hair on end. 

He shouts out a curse. 

“I can’t be worthy,” he says, and tries to hand it to Thor. Thor shies away from it. More insistently, Loki presses it into his hands and lets go. 

The hammer falls through Thor’s hands to land solidly in the grass. 

“Thor.” 

“Not worthy,” Thor says with a shrug. 

_ “Thor.” _

Loki picks the hammer back up, turning it over in his hands. Again, he tries to hand it to Thor. “Come on. Mjolnir is your hammer. You can’t be not worthy.”

“I’ve been not worthy before.” 

“Yes, but you-- but you--” 

He can’t finish the thought, and Thor reaches out and wraps Loki’s fingers more securely around the hilt. “It’s Brunnhilde’s now, but you can use it. If you want. And if you ask her, I suppose.”

“Why aren’t you worthy?” 

Thor shrugs. “Maybe because I don’t want to be,” he says. “I can still call lighting. I can still fight. I just won’t rule Asgard. And I am okay with that. You spent more time being King than I did.”

“I-- yes...” 

“Asgard needs a Queen,” Brunnhilde cuts in suddenly. “Or, rather,  _ I  _ need one. I’m not so good at the personal aspect of ruling. Logistics, politics, I’m your girl. The feminine touch?” 

“Ah, you are a fine King, but I understand,” Thor says, laughing at her, and Brunnhilde socks him in the massive shoulder. 

“The Queen,” Brunnhilde continued, “would obviously need to be able to wield Mjolnir, so we could be sure they were worthy. Perhaps they would need prior experience ruling. They’d need to be Asgardian, of course. Not by blood, but by nurture.” 

She’s staring hard at Loki, eyes drilling into him, daring him not to accept her offer that’s becoming more blatant by the second. 

“As long as they were all those things, and could provide the feminine touch I’m missing...”

“Oh, all right,” Loki says. 

“The new Queen of Asgard!” Brunnhilde says, smiling at last, taking his hand still wrapped around Mjolnir and hoisting it in the air. “Come meet your subjects!” 

 

There are two thrones in New Asgard in the castle's front hall. They were designed and commissioned by the Queen. The hall's location and accessibility was determined by the King. 

On one sits a figure in plate armor, carrying a hefty sword. On the other sits a figure in elegant robes, draped in magic. 

Between them lies the hammer Mjolnir. 

Brunnhilde reaches over and twirls her fingers in Loki’s magic. “We’re done holding evening court. Time to go home?” 

Loki picks up Mjolnir as he stands. “Yes.” 

Tomorrow, they’re going to a play. The next day, Erika is returning from the UN convention. Right now, they exit out the back of the hall into a four room straw-roofed castle, Brunnhilde taking Mjolnir to set it on the coat rack. 

“Goodnight, my Queen,” she says, and heads to one bedroom. 

“Goodnight, my King,” Loki returns, and heads to the other. 

 

_ Mjolnir was never the one to determine who was worthy. Odin was. And when Odin died, that power passed on to Thor. Though Thor is no longer worthy, Mjolnir will accept his judgement until his death.  _

**Author's Note:**

> Found it on instagram so I'll give as much credit as I'm able. posted by maryxglz:  
> *Image of Loki in Thor 1, testing if he can pick up the hammer as it sits in the crash site*  
> "Does anyone else lie awake at night thinking about the fact that only someone who's 'Worthy' can pick up Mjolnir? But that it's ODIN who cast the spell and therefore his definition of 'Worthy'?  
> So like... Loki was never going to be able to pick it up."
> 
> my thoughts on this: what if Thor had control of the spell after odin's death? What if he thought his brother was worthy? What if


End file.
